Matchups

Stephen Strasburg stumbled out of the blocks and suffered his first defeat since September in his last trip to the mound. With six days to stew on the result, the 28-year-old looks to rid the sour taste from his mouth and extend his perfect road record Wednesday afternoon as the Washington Nationals vie for a split of their abbreviated two-game interleague series versus the Cleveland Indians.

Giancarlo Stanton and the Miami Marlins may have awoken from their offensive slumber. After ending his team's pronounced scoring drought at 24 innings, Stanton looks to help the host Marlins claim the rubber match of their three-game series against the National League East-rival Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon.

Melvin Upton Jr. makes his first start with his new club against the team that traded him when the Toronto Blue Jays wrap up a three-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres on Wednesday afternoon. Toronto goes for the sweep after rallying for three runs in the 12th inning capped by a walk-off wild pitch.

The Boston Red Sox are averaging seven runs and have 34 extra-base hits in the last eight games but are in danger of falling below .500 on their nine-game homestand. The Red Sox will try to get a solid pitching performance to go along with all of that offense and avoid a losing homestand when they host the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a three-game series on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are actively looking to upgrade their roster prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, but Yasmani Grandal’s recent power surge has allowed them to cross at least one position off their shopping list. The veteran catcher looks to continue his offensive resurgence Wednesday as the Dodgers conclude a two-game set against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

The San Francisco Giants have struggled since the All-Star break but have a chance to win the three-game series with the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday when ace Madison Bumgarner takes the mound. The teams split the first two games with San Francisco's 9-7 victory on Tuesday representing only the club's second victory in the past 10 games.

Adam Jones has come to play this week against the Colorado Rockies, but the rest of the Baltimore Orioles offense is having a harder time finding the way. The Orioles will try to get some production from somewhere other than the leadoff spot in the lineup when they host the Rockies in the rubber match of a three-game interleague series on Wednesday.

The Seattle Mariners have had their way with interleague play this season, boasting a majors-best 10-3 mark when facing off against representatives from the National League. The Mariners look to continue their good fortune Wednesday as they vie for a sweep of their abbreviated two-game interleague series with the host Pittsburgh Pirates.

The New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals are both battling for postseason spots in the National League while trying to decide where they stand in the days before the Aug. 1 trade deadline. The teams did not show much separation while splitting a doubleheader on Tuesday, and the Mets will host the rubber match of the three-game series on Wednesday.

The Chicago White Sox have a long way to go to get back in the American League Central race, but they’re back to .500 and are riding their longest winning streak since early May. The visiting White Sox look to keep the hot streak going and lock up the season series against the crosstown-rival Chicago Cubs on Wednesday at Wrigley Field.

The Oakland Athletics look to win their fourth consecutive series since the All-Star break when they visit the American League West-leading Texas Rangers on Wednesday for the rubber match of their three-game set. After ending the first half of the season by splitting a four-game series at Houston, the Athletics took two of three from both Toronto and the Astros before going 3-1 against Tampa Bay to conclude their 10-game homestand.

Pitching has fueled the current hot streak of the New York Yankees, who will send ace Masahiro Tanaka to the mound on Wednesday for the finale of a three-game series against the host Houston Astros. New York will be bidding for a sweep as it seeks its fourth consecutive victory.

The Atlanta Braves attempt to complete a sweep of their brief two-game interleague set against the host Minnesota Twins when the two worst teams in the major leagues meet at Target Field on Wednesday. Atlanta, which owns the worst record in baseball at 34-66, ended its five-game losing streak Tuesday with a 2-0 triumph in the series opener as Adonis Garcia homered while Lucas Harrell and four relievers combined on a five-hitter.

The Milwaukee Brewers have scored 16 runs in the first two games of the series and attempt to defeat the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks for the third straight night on Wednesday in the third contest of their four-game set. Milwaukee scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning of Tuesday's 9-4 victory and has collected 23 hits while outscoring the Diamondbacks by 10 in the two victories.

The Kansas City Royals are fresh off their worst home loss since 2002 and look to avert a three-game sweep when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Kansas City was shellacked 13-0 on Tuesday to lose for the sixth time in its last seven games while Los Angeles equaled a season high with 22 hits.